Shackle-spring



No. 620,687. Patented Mar. 7, I899. 12. 0. WINKLER & a. WENZEL.

SHACKLE SPRING.

(Application filed Apr. 24, 18973 No Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL O. TVINKLER AND GUSTAV VVENZEL, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

YSHACKLE-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,687, dated March 7', 1899.

Application filed April 24, 1897.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CARL O. WINKLER and GUSTAV WVENZEL, citizens of the United States, residing at Manchester, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shackle-Springs; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in shackle-springs; and the object of the same is to provide an improved spring which may be readily positioned upon the shackle without the aid of tools and which serves to prevent rattling of the thill-eyes on the thillbolts as the parts wear by use.

The invention also consists in the novel details of construction hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of an axle having a shackle and thill-iron secured thereto, showing our spring in position. Fig. 2 is a view of the spring detached from the shackle.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates the spring having its forward end curved, as illustrated at 2, to extend around the rear side of the thill-iron and extending partially beneath the same, said spring being then curved backward and extending upward around the shackle, being of the same contour. The spring then extends downward on the opposite side of the shackle and has its extremity bent backward to form a loop 3, in which loop a link 4 is positioned and adapted to move. The opposite end of the link is curved upward, as illustrated at 5, and is adapted to rest upon the upper side of the bar 6, which connects the ends of the legs of the shackle.

When it is desired to remove the spring, the portion of the same on the rear side of the $erial No. 638,664. (No model.)

axle is pressed inward toward the axle,which disengages the link from engagement with the shackle, when the opposite end of the spring may be removed from engagement with the thill-iron. To attach the spring,its curved end is inserted in the rear of the thill-iron and pressure applied to the opposite end, which permits the link to be inserted over the top of the cross-piece at the lower end of the shackle on the under sideof the axle.

It will be seen that the tension of the spring upon the thill-eye holds the same pressed tightly against the bolt, so that as the parts wear by use rattling and noise are prevented.

From the above description it will be seen that we have produced a spring which may be readily attached to or detached from the shackle, the accidental displacement of the same being absolutely prevented.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a thill-coupling, the combination with a coupling-band and yoke-plate connecting its ends, of a pivoted thill-iron, a spring of substantiallyinverted-U shape passing over the coupling-band, one end of said spring being offset and having a curved extremity engaging the thill-iron, and the opposite end of the spring being extended below and to the rear of the yoke-plate, and looped to form an elongated eye, and a link loosely retained in said eye, and having its opposite end bent up from the plane of the link and engaging the upper surface of one end of the yoke-plate, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrio ing witnesses.

O. O. WINKLER. GUSTAV WENZEL.

lVitnesses:

ERNST WINKLER, ROBERT S. PEASLEE. 

